Lewis-Manning Hospice care volunteer, Robin, is honoured with the ‘League of Mercy’ award

FOCUS ON legal

with Frettens Solicitors

HMO stands for Houses in Multiple Occupation. An HMO is a property that is rented out by at least 3 tenants who are not from the same household but share ‘facilities’ such as the bathroom and kitchen. If the above is true, yet at least five tenants occupy the property, then it is known as a ‘large HMO’.

HMOs have certain requirements which they must meet. One of which, being a valid tenancy. It is also mandatory for all Large HMOs to be licenced. Speak to your local council to find out whether this is the case, and to attain a licence.

As part of the licensing process, you will need to ensure that the bedrooms are of a certain size. The minimum bedroom sizes for HMOs are as follows: • A bedroom occupied with one adult - 6.51 M2 • A bedroom occupied by two adults – 10.22 M2 • A bedroom occupied by children under the age of 10 – 4.64 M2 An HMO licence can be refused if it doesn’t meet the minimum room size requirements, for example. If refused a licence, you should take steps to right the issue that caused refusal. This could include undertaking works to bring the property up to standard.

For small HMOs, you generally don’t need planning permission. However, ‘large HMOs’ are likely to require permission. Many councils are implementing Article 4 Directions which will mean if you are changing the use of the property from a residential dwelling into an HMO, you must obtain planning permission. Planning permission can also be applied for through your local council.

There are many costs involved in setting up and running an HMO. To find out more about these, head to our website www.frettens.co.uk or get in touch using the information below. Email: hmartin@frettens.co.uk Phone: 01202 499255 www.frettens.co.uk

Lewis-Manning Hospice care volunteer, Robin, is honoured with the ‘League of Mercy’ award

Robin Sherwood has volunteered at LewisManning Hospice Care for 30 years as a driver for patients across East Dorset and Purbeck. He has been chosen along with just 21 other volunteers from across the UK this year, and is the only person from Dorset to receive this prestigious award.

The event took place at The Mansion House in London on the afternoon of Friday 29 July 2022. The award was made by The Rt Hon the Lord Lingfield, President, and the Trustees of the League of Mercy in the presence of Her Royal Highness, Princes Katarina of Yugoslavia.

Robin said: “I am thrilled and honoured to win this award. It really means a lot to me. I think I have volunteered around 10,000 hours the past thirty years and driven the equivalent of around the world four times for Lewis-Manning Hospice Care and I’ve loved every moment of it.

“In early 1992 my wife saw an advert in the Daily Echo. Early retirement had become a little boring and I missed the 3 P’s (People, Purpose and Pattern). Lewis-Manning Hospice Care provided all three and I have thoroughly enjoyed the last 30 years and the contribution I have made to this worthwhile charity.”

Clare Gallie, chief executive at LewisManning added: “Robin is a true inspiration and really deserved this amazing award. We quite simply wouldn’t be able to run the hospice without people like Robin, who always go that extra mile for their community. Robin has dedicated so many years to Lewis-Manning and we are thrilled that the League of Mercy has recognised this fantastic achievement of Robin’s. He puts smiles on everyone’s faces, from the staff, to the patients, to the other volunteers. Well done Robin and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all you’ve done for the organisation.”

Robin concluded: “Volunteering is such a special experience. The best thing about it for me is the friendships I have made both with staff, volunteers and patients. If you’re thinking of helping and supporting a charity please give it a go, it may surprise you!” The League of Mercy is a charity dedicated to honouring and recognising the incredible work of volunteers. ‘They deserve a medal’ is something they often say of those wonderful volunteers who have served their organisations and communities outstandingly. The League of Mercy was founded on 30 March 1899 by Royal Charter of Queen Victoria. It was instigated by the Prince of Wales who became its first Grand President. The object of the league was to establish a large body of voluntary workers who would assist with the maintenance of voluntary hospitals and ‘otherwise relieve sickness and suffering’. When the 1948 National Health Act abolished these hospitals, the league was quietly wound up after performing its task extraordinarily well for nearly half a century. Central to the annual activities of the League was a notable ceremony at which about fifty people each received a medal known as the Order of Mercy. These were bestowed as a reward for personal services gratuitously rendered in connection with the purposes for which the League was established. The League of Mercy was re-founded as a UK registered charity in 1999. Its current trustees, all of whom have a wide range of experience in charitable voluntary work in various health areas, undertook its renewal as a personal Millennium project. lewis-manning.org.uk Robin Sherwood, Volunteer & Clare Gallie, Chief Executive at Lewis-Manning

Skills, confidence and edge over others

Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme opportunities with Poole Sea Cadets

One of the core elements of the experience offered by Poole Sea Cadets is the opportunity to take part in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.

Under the expert coordination of Chris Bonfield and his volunteer instructors, all three levels, Bronze, Silver, and Gold, can be undertaken. If cadets wish, they can even do all the individual sections.

Many cadets leave the unit with all three of these awards under their belt.

Chris said: “I always hope they will do this, but only 10% have the motivation and possibly the time to. But those that do are rewarded with an invitation to Buckingham Palace.”

Why is a Duke of Edinburgh Award so well received? In the wider world of education and employment such a qualification illustrates in an individual a willingness to undertake extra-curricular activities which bestow skills such as communication, commitment, leadership, and teamwork.

If a cadet is going on to either colleges, universities, or employment, a Duke of Edinburgh award gives them an edge over others as well as confidence. It is said that many employers will guarantee an interview to a Gold award holder.

In recent months, Poole Sea Cadets undertaking their Gold award have been out on the river Thames rowing from Henley to Reading and back to Hambledon. Others, taking part in their Silver and Bronze awards, undertook an overnight expedition in the New Forest. Sleeping under the stars and then cooking breakfast the next morning was a totally novel experience for most.

“My team and I,” Chris said: “derive great pleasure in guiding young people through the different stages of the award, including the expedition section. We try to take them to different locations which they wouldn’t normally visit. Hence rowing on the Thames and previously expeditions on Dartmoor, the Brecon Beacons, and Peaks.

Covid restrictions saw a new initiative from the award scheme to ensure the participants were able to continue with the award.

Being a little inventive, cadets could, for the first time, undertake most of the award at home. Naturally the expedition had to wait for Covid restrictions to be lifted. If it hadn’t been for this, cadets would never have caught up.

Since Covid, interest in the DofE award has gone from strength to strength, not just in Poole, but amongst Sea Cadets generally throughout the Southern Area.

Chris said: “The biggest challenge ahead to enable completions is to provide sufficient expedition opportunities. Here in the Sea Cadet’s Wessex District, we have trained a great team of staff who are qualified to supervise expeditions, but elsewhere this expertise can be lacking. We do try to help, and our most recent July expedition attracted cadets from as far away as Banbury, Milton Keynes, Ashford Kent, Medway, and Crawley, and as an additional gesture, Poole Unit accommodated most of them the night before.”

FOCUS ON finance

with Peter Harding

Is it too late to start saving for retirement?

Local financial expert Peter Harding explains, when you’re considering your future and what to do with your money, it’s vital to ensure your financial security will continue into later life, when you’re no longer earning an income. But is it ever too late to start saving? The answer is no, and this isn’t just a Pollyanna response from a pension’s expert.

Retirement has changed substantially from what it was for previous generations. It used to be the norm to spend a 30year career in one profession, often with one or two employers, and for people to stop working entirely once they reached retirement age, which was usually around 60 to 65 years old. Now average UK life expectancy figures from the ONS, show that you could spend 25 to 30+ years of your life in retirement.

It’s difficult to say how much money you need before you stop work, because it really depends on what you want to do. Many people fund their retirement from a range of sources, including property, Cash ISA savings, Stocks & Shares ISAs, earnings, state pension and private pension pots.

Reaching retirement age is not an ending, it’s the start of a new chapter in life. Putting the right plan in place with the help of a financial adviser, will help ensure you can enjoy the future you want.

To receive a complimentary guide covering wealth management, retirement planning or inheritance tax planning, contact Peter Harding Wealth Management on 01202 830730 or email peterhardingwm@sjpp.co.uk.

Peter Harding Wealth Management is a trading name of Peter Harding Practice Ltd.